


How Old Are Babies Again?

by madwriter223



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: And Stanley Being Cute is Not Helping, But It's Growing On Him, De-Aged Stanley Pines, Dipper Less So, Family Feels, Fluff, Ford Has a Minor Crisis, Gen, He's a teenager, Humor, Mabel is Beside Herself, Past Child Abuse, Several in Fact - Freeform, They Just Won't End
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-22 16:54:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10701156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madwriter223/pseuds/madwriter223
Summary: When Mabel and Stanley went off into the forest for something or other, Stanford didn't think any of it. Stanley was a grown man, he's able to handle himself. Right? Except... Stanley was definitely older when he left, Ford is sure of it.





	1. Re-Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the oh so gorgeous art by peekabooitsmiko of tumblr:  
> Behold and be amazed: http://peekabooitsmiko.tumblr.com/post/134544428857/ive-got-an-au-you-could-give-a-crack-at-de-aged  
> The headlock scene is based on Karaii's lovely piece.  
> Here be awesomeness: https://leukaraii.tumblr.com/post/155359382784/the-continued-mis-adventures-of-buff-smol-stan

Ford nearly dropped his current specimen when Dipper came into his lab at full speed. “Great Uncle Ford, come quick!” he yelled, eyes wide and frantic.

“Dipper?” Ford set the specimen down and pinned it under a bucket. “What's wrong?” He'd left Dipper upstairs with one of his Portal Journals. Had something happened?

“It's Grunkle Stan! Mabel came back from the forest with him, but he's...” He glanced over his shoulder, face lined with worry. “Come quick!”

A chill went down Ford's spine at the thought. Stanley was hurt? Badly enough to panic the children? And the forest was filled with all kinds of dangerous things Stanley probably had no clue how to deal with, oh God, he could be dying.

Ford raced upstairs, taking three steps at a time, Dipper close behind. When he burst into the Shack and saw Mabel and Stanley, he froze in shock. Because he wasn't looking at Stanley the local Mister Mystery. He was staring at Stanley as he'd been before Dad had kicked him out. He was staring at Stanley the teen. “Wha-” It couldn't be. “Stanley?” 

“ _That's_ Ford?!” Stanley stared at him, eyes as wide as saucers. Then he grinned. “Holy crap, you look so cool!” he exclaimed and jumped forward. “You look like a hunk! Who knew you'd grow up to be the handsome one!”

“Great Uncle Ford, you know how to change him back, right?!” Dipper demanded, tugging on his coat.

Ford shrugged Dipper off and circled Stanley slowly, looking him up and down. He was wearing his suit, but it was hanging off him, too big in the shoulders and chest. Because the man inside was so much younger. Middle school age, perhaps. “How did you-” Ford's fingers itched to touch Stanley, to make sure this wasn't an illusion of some kind. He clenched his hands into fists instead. “How did this happen?”

“No clue.” Stanley shrugged. “I just woke up in a forest, and that cootie-patootie said she's my grandniece,” he pointed at Mabel.

She let out a high pitched noise, hugging the fez to her chest. “Dipper, did you hear? He called me cootie-patootie!”

Dipper nodded, scratching under his cap. “I heard Mabel, but how did this happen? And is it contagious? Can Mabel get infected as well?”

“Hey, are you my grand-whatever too?” Stanley grinned, attention now on Dipper.

Dipper started, then cleared his throat. “Y-yeah.” He scratched at his hand and gave a small smile. “Grandnephew.”

“We're twins!” Mabel yelled, grabbed Dipper into a one-armed hug and smooshing their cheeks together.

Stanley laughed. “That's awesome! Hear that, Ford? Twins officially run in the family!” He grinned, then looked Ford up and down again. “So what are you? Cause you don't look like the sciency nerd I know you are.”

“He is the nerdiest!” Mabel yelled, jumping forward.

“Great Uncle Ford has twelve PHDs!” Dipper added, just as animatedly.

Stanley let out an impressed laugh. “You've gone beyond all levels of nerdom!” he told Ford, earning himself a small smile. “Do I help you out with your experiments?”

Ford had no clue how to answer that. A 'no' suddenly seemed too harsh. Thankfully, the children rushed to answer for him.

“No, Grunkle Stan! You run that Mystery Shack!”

“The what shack?”

“This way!” The children grabbed Stanley's hands and pulled him through the door and into the souvenir shop. Ford followed after them, grateful he didn't have to explain the truth. “Tadah!”

“Holy shi—shkebob.” Stanley looked around, eyes wide and cheeks flushed in his excitement. “Is that a... Sascrotch?” He burst out laughing, slapping his knee. “That is genius! And I'm a success?”

“The best ever!”

“You've got tons of tourists coming here every day!” 

“And you pick'em dry each time!” Mabel pumped her fist for emphasis, and Stanley let out a delighted laugh.

“Wow.” Stanley turned to Ford with yet another grin. “So you do your nerdy stuff and I take care of the finances. Holy crap, I end up the responsible one!” He laughed again and gave Ford's shoulder a playful punch. He froze with a blink. “Hey, wait a minute.” He stepped closer, pawing at Ford's shoulder and upper arm, his brows creased.

Ford frowned at him and tried to jerk away, but Stanley followed. “What are you doing?” he demanded.

“You have muscles under there!” Stanley exclaimed. “Firm muscles! You're _buff_!” He said it like an accusation, and Ford scowled. 

“Muscles are a natural part of anatomy, Stanley.”

“But not buff ones!” Stanley lifted Ford's arm and slipped under it, back to Ford. “Put me in a headlock!”

“What? No!” Ford tried to pull his arm back, but Stanley held on tight, pressing it against his neck.

“Come on, I wanna see how strong you are! Headlock me!”

“Do it!” Mabel joined in, pumping her firsts in the air. “Buff Uncle Ford! Buff Uncle Ford!”

“Yeah, come on, Sixer!” Stanley pulled Ford's arm tighter around his neck. “Don't be a wimp!”

Moses, he'd forgotten how annoying Stanley could be. “Fine!” He tightened his arm around Stanley's throat and grabbed his head still with the other one. He kicked out Stanley's knee so more of his weight rested on Ford's arm, further choking him. If Stanley was going to be a baby about this, then... Stanley was very soft, he noticed with a blink. His neck, his chin, his cheeks. Was it his natural pudge? Or was it still baby fat? He couldn't remember if Stanley had been as soft when they were young. Or as limp.

Right, the headlock.

He loosened his hold and lowered Stanley carefully onto the floor. “You might be dizzy for a moment, Stanley.” He steadied him as he wobbled, blinking blearily. “Take deep breaths.”

Mabel and Dipper came closer, a worried pinch to their brows. “Grunkle Stan?”

“Are you okay?”

Stanley took a deep breath. “That...” he grinned. “was awesome!” He twisted around to grin up at Ford. “I dropped like a rock!”

Ford blinked at him in bemusement.

“Kids!” Stanley turned to the children, that grin still on his face. “How long did I last?”

Dipper shrugged with a hesitant smile. “About 2-3 seconds?”

“Yah hear that, Sixer?” Stanley turned around again. “Like a rock! Even you last at least 5 seconds when I put you in a headlock!”

Ford blinked when he recognized the emotion Stanley was looking at him with. Pride. Pride and excitement.

He smiled. He hesitated for a moment, then ruffled Stanley's hair. “I have more experience than you did back then.”

“Put me in a headlock next!” Mabel demanded.

Ford blanched. “Mabel, I-” Thankfully, Stanley beat him to it.

“Ford would squish you like a bug! I'll do it!” He pulled her closer and put one meaty arm gently around her neck, rubbing his knuckles over her head. “Noogie noogie noogie!”

“Nooooooo! Not the Noogie!” she squirmed with a shrill laugh, but not effectively enough to escape.

“You better believe it, sister!” Stanley blew a raspberry against her forehead, then continued noogieing.

“Dipper!” Mabel called, her tone as dramatic as an outrageous soap opera actress. “Save me, my brother!”

“Yeah, save her, Dipper!” Stan agreed, still mid-noogie.

“I'm coming, Mabel!” Dipper called and leapt onto Stan's back. He grabbed him around the neck and started noogieing _him_.

“Gah!” Stanley barked, and tipped over onto his side, dragging the children with him. All three were laughing.

Ford stood to the side, watching them. There was a tight feeling in the back of his throat, and the more he watched, the tighter it grew. Just _how old_ was this Stanley? He seemed just like a child, barely older than Dipper and Mabel. But he had to know for certain. “Stanley.” The three of them stopped the noogie war and looked up at him. Ford cleared his throat. “Stanley, how old are you?”

“We had our seventeenth birthday last month,” he replied, sitting up. Mabel immediately climbed into his lap.

“You- you're seventeen?” Impossible. That was the age they were when Dad-

“Yup. The big one-seven. And after that is one-eight and _adulthood_!” he cheered, pulled both kids to his chest and flopped down onto his back. “Yeah, baby!”

“We're gonna be teenagers in two weeks!” Mabel yelled and Stan grinned at her.

“Yeah, milestones rock! High six!” He lifted both hands and the children tapped them simultaneously.

Ford took a startled step back. This couldn't be. If Stanley was indeed a month after their seventeenth birthday... then the science fair hasn't happened yet for him. If he remembered correctly, it would be still two more months before... before Dad...

No, he couldn't think like that. If Stanley was seventeen, then he was almost an adult. He was exactly this age when he'd ruined Ford's life. Exactly this age. He watched Stanley roll on the floor with the twins, and tried to see the same arrogant selfish ass that had sabotaged his future, tried to muster up that same anger he'd felt at the betrayal. But then Stanley started blowing raspberries against Dipper's cheeks, and a horrible thought struck Ford. Stanley couldn't be seventeen. He was barely older than their niblings, he couldn't be- Ford watched the _children_ playing and felt the weight of all of his years resting heavily on his shoulders. Stanley, now forty years his junior, seemed barely more than a small child. Practically a baby.

But that couldn't be right. At seventeen Stanley had been... Dad had... Surely he had to be old enough to... But he could still feel Stanley's softness against his arm, be it baby fat or pudge. The thought of this _child_ out on the streets, all alone, suddenly became an impossible one. Had he had warm clothes, a place to sleep? Had he even had enough to eat every day? Stanley had always had a bit appetite, and judging by old-Stanley's belly he still had it to this day. How had he managed on his own? Food was expensive, had he found a job to afford feeding himself? Or were there times when he hadn't had anything to-

The kids joined forces for a tickle attack, and Stanley started giggling. And just like that, the thought of this... child... being all alone without any food, belly gnawing with hunger pains, became one impossible to bear. Especially as Ford knew far too well how painful hunger pains could be.

“Are you hungry?” It burst out, and three pairs of eyes turned to him. “I think it's time for lunch.”

Stanley craned his head back to look at the clock. “It's eleven, Sixer.”

“Great, I'll fix you something.”

“Sure, I could eat.” Stanley shrugged and stood up in one smooth move. The twins were dislodged in the process, and they tumbled down, laughing. “I want Steggs.”

Dipper blinked and stood up. “What's that?”

Stanley croached down by him with yet another grin. Did he even know how to stop smiling? “Only the best eggs out there. Stanford makes them with love and science.”

“I want Steggs too!” Mabel cried out with a grin. “Steggs, steggs, steggs, steggs!”

Dipper and Stan soon joined in, and Stanford was struck again by how young Stan was. How young Stan had been. Barely older than the twins.

“I'll make Steggs.” He agreed, and all three cheered.

“YEY!”

Children. All of them, children.

*~*


	2. Feeding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgot to mention with chapter 1, but this takes place BEFORE Weirdmaggeddon. Pre-Weirdmageddon Ford is a thing, right? ^_^

Ford stepped into the kitchen and looked around. “All right.” He paused, hands on his hips. “Where are the eggs?”

“I'll get'em!” Dipper went over to the fridge and pulled it open. “There should be a carton of eggs left, we had some just yesterday. Here it is!”

“Excellent.” Ford took the eggs and grabbed a stick of butter he'd spotted by the milk.

“We'll set the table, right Grunkle Stan?” Mabel declared, tugging on Stan's hand.

“Sure, why not?” Stanley grinned at her, pulling his sleeves up past the wrists. “Where do you keep the fine china?”

Mabel giggled and curtsied. “This way, fine sir.”

“Ooooh, fancy talk. I like it.” One of the sleeves slipped down and he pulled it back up.

“Here you go, Great Uncle Ford.” Dipper handed him a bowl, only slightly chipped. “Can I help?”

“Of course, my boy. Crack open these eggs for me while I prepare the butter.”

“With science!” Stanley set a stack of plates on the table and his sleeves slipped down again. “It riches the flavor.” 

“ _En_ riches, Stanley.”

“I know, 's what I said.” Stanley grinned at him, and Ford felt himself smiling back. Stanley's bright smile had always been infectious. He'd forgotten about that.

Stanley's sleeves slipped down again and he huffed. “You know what, I can't move in this thing,” he announced and shrugged out of his suit jacket and shirt. He pulled his pants down as well, then simply stepped out of them when they pooled on the floor. “Much better.”

Ford frowned. “Stanley, you can't parade around in just your underwear.”

“Why not?” He glanced down at the singlet and boxer shorts he was wearing. “It's warm enough.”

“Yeah. And Grunkle Stan walks around like that all the time,” Mabel defended him, setting the forks on the table.

Well true. Technically. But for some reason, seeing his brother, still so young and dressed like a slobbery hobo sent a chill down Ford's spine. “Please, at least put on some pants.”

Dipper walked over to Stanley. “We have some shorts in the gift shop. I can get you a pair.”

“Gift shop? From the Sascrotch Shack?”

Dipper and Mabel giggled. “ The _Mystery_ Shack. Come on, Grunkle Stan.”

“Great.” Stanley picked up his suit and followed. “Hey, where can I leave the monkey suit? It's nice, don't want it getting all wrinkly.”

They came back moments later. Stanley was dressed in a pair of khaki shorts, though he was still wearing his stained singlet. “Better, Pointdexter?”

“To a point. Finish setting the table.”

“Sure thing.” He watched as Dipper joined Ford by the counter, then glanced at Mabel. “I got a question.”

“What is it, Grunkle Stan?”

“Are you two our apprentices?”

Ford set down the frying pan and turned around. “Our what?”

Stanley shrugged at him. “Cause they've told me they're living with us, but not why. Did we take them in after their parents you know...” he trailed off with a worried look, and Ford blanched.

“No, of course not!” Though, come to think of it, Ford didn't actually know He'd never thought to ask before. He looked to Dipper, brows knitted. “Your parents are alive, right?”

“Right.” Dipper nodded, then looked to Stanley. “We're just here for the summer, Grunkle Stan.”

“The last summer of our childhood! Two months of adventure and freedom to be as childish as we desire!” Mabel leapt onto a nearby chair, and planted a foot on the table. “After that it'll be our _teenagehood_! And new maturity!”

“And middle school!” Dipper added, bouncing on his toes.

“And with middle school comes...” she waggled her eyebrows, and Dipper grinned wider.

“Algebra!”

Mabel laughed. “You know it, bro-bro!” They fist-bumped and waggled their fingers.

Stanley laughed and hugged them both. “Hurray for algebra!” He yelled, apparently going along with the kids.

“Three cheers!” Mabel crowed, and Dipper laughed.

Ford stared at them, the tight feeling once more in his throat. Had Stanley had this? Had he had friends he could goof around with? Or had he been all alone, with no one to smile with?

He let the children play and tussle and concentrated on making the eggs.

*~*

“Here we are,” he said, setting the bowl on the table. “Eggs, as requested.”

“That's Steggs to you, Sixer.” Stanley nudged him with an elbow, then finished setting the filled glasses by the plates. “There. The table's all set. Let's dig in.”

They did.

“These are delicious, Great-Uncle Ford!” Dipper exclaimed, munching on the Steggs.

“What I tell you?” Stanley's words were garbled by the amount of eggs he'd crammed into his mouth.

“Your Stancakes are great, too.” Mabel assured him with a smile, eggs spilling out from her mouth.

“Stancakes?” Ford glanced between the kids, brows raised in question.

Dipper swallowed his mouthful. “Pancakes made by Stan,” he explained.

Mabel patted Stanley's shoulder. “You make them with love and bits of your hair.”

“Sounds like my cooking, all right,” Stan laughed, and Ford rolled his eyes with a small smile. It did, actually. 

But, on to more important matters. “Mabel, tell us what exactly happened?” he asked, setting his fork down.

Mabel hummed thoughtfully and swallowed. “Well, me and Grunkle Stan went to the caves to get some size crystals. I wanted to embiggen Waddles so I could ride him like a warhog into battle, but we'd destroyed the size-crystal we'd had before.”

“Twice,” Dipper added.

“Yeah, so we went to get some more. We got to the cave, and Grunkle Stan leaned against one of the bigger crystals and presto-change-o.” She gestured grandly to Stanley. “The young grunk.”

Ford made a thoughtful noise in the back of his throat, tapping his fork against his plate. “I've never heard of size-crystals having that effect. Are you certain you went to the right cave?”

“I followed the map from your Journal.”

Ford frowned. “I don't remember lending you the third Journal.”

“Oh, I got Grunkle Stan to lend me his copies. That's why he tagged along, he said he wanted to see the crystals with his own eyes.” She grinned at Stanley. “You said that crystal cave would make a great new exhibit.”

Ford scowled and pointed a stern finger at Stanley. “Out of the question, unless you want a crowd of miniature tourists running around and getting eaten by gnomes or birds.”

Stanley shrugged. “Tell old-me that, I have no clue what you're talking about.”

“Right.” Ford cleared his throat and turned back to Mabel. “Are you absolutely certain nothing else out of the ordinary happened? Anything at all? Perhaps before you reached the caves?”

Mabel rocked back in her chair, chewing her eggs with gusto. “OH!” She exclaimed and choked on her mouthful. She started coughing, and Stanley patted her back to help dislodge the food. Once she'd regained her breath, she continued. “Grunkle Stan tripped and fell into a pond!”

“Mabel, drink this.” Dipper handed her her glass of juice and she guzzled it down.

“Thanks, Dipper. Thanks, Grunkle Stan.”

“A... pond?” Ford repeated, trying to recall the topography of the area.

“Yup! Fell all in, he was soaked!” Mabel took another mouthful of eggs. “But we were real close to the cave, so he figured we might as well get the crystal anyway.”

“So he was wet when he leaned against the crystal. Interesting.” Ford tapped his chin. “I don't recall any ponds near the caves. The only pond I'm sure is somewhat near is...” Oh. Of course. That explained it. “The Pond of Youth.”

“The what?” Stanley's brows knitted in confusion, and Ford waved a hand dismissively, still deep in thought.

“The Pond of Youth. Though it removes only up to five years. Its water must've reacted with the crystals somehow to cause this.”

“Can you fix it, Great-Uncle Ford?” Dipper asked, his voice worried.

Ford blinked, and focused back on his family. They were all looking at him with various degrees of worry. “Of course, of course.” He smiled, back straight. “However I will need samples of both that water and those crystals if I'm going to find a way to reverse this.”

“Family trip!” Mabel cheered.

“Whoo-hoo!” Dipper agreed, and Stanley laughed.

“Sounds awesome! Can't wait to see Dr. Pines the Adventurer in action.”

“I'm sure there won't be any action to speak off.” At least the places Mabel described didn't seem like any of the more supernaturally unstable areas. A new thought crossed his mind, and he turned to look at Stan, tilting his head in contemplation. “I must say, Stanley. You are being very calm about all this.”

“'F course I am,” Stanley smiled at him, still entirely unconcerned.

“But why? You're in an unfamiliar place, in an unfamiliar time. You'd think you would be more concerned.”

Stanley shrugged. “You're here and you're badass.” He leaned over to Mabel. “Did I use that right?” She gave him a thumbs up and he grinned at Ford. “My badass nerdy Big-Bro. So what do I've got to worry about?”

Stanford didn't know what to say to that. He'd forgotten how trusting Stanley had been. How trusting towards Stanford he'd been. Had that changed before or after Dad had-

The tightness was back in his throat, so he fake-coughed and concentrated on his plate. “Eat up, everybody,” he said stiffly. “We're leaving right after we eat.”

“Yes, sir, Big-Bro, sir.” Stanley saluted, mouth full of Steggs.

Ford's shoulders relaxed, and he rolled his eyes with an indulgent smile.

*~*


	3. The Forest

“Is everybody ready to go?”

“I am, Great-Uncle Ford.” Dipper held up his fully equipped backpack. Besides him, Mabel brandished her grappling hook.

“Me too!”

“Yeah, lets do this!” Stan called with a grin, fists propped up on his hips.

Ford looked at him, and his brows knitted slowly. Stanley was still wearing just his boxers and the singlet he usually strutted around in. The material was stained, threadbare to the point of having holes. It was entirely inappropriate for the weather. It was still summer, true, but autumn was coming, and one could already feel the chill in the air. Especially by the caves. 

A thought suddenly struck him. It had been chilly that night as well. And Stanley had had only his white T-shirt on. And it had been threadbare as well. Had it? Stanford couldn't remember, and the uncertainty left a bad taste in his mouth.

“Stanley, you can't go like that. You'll catch a chill,” he said, blocking his brother from leaving the house.

“Aww.” Stanley looked down at his singlet, tugging on the hem. “Don't tell me I have to wear the monkey suit again,” he grumbled, lower lip sticking out in a pout.

The bad taste traveled down to Ford's throat, squeezing it tight. _A baby._ “Y-” his voice cracked and he cleared his throat. “Yes. You need to put something else on.”

“I know just the thing!” Mabel yelled and raced upstairs. There was a crash, then she came back down. “I got it!” she crowed, waving a piece of cloth with mad energy.

The piece of cloth turned out to be a bright orange sweater. Mabel presented it to Stanley with relish, and his eyes grew round with awe.

“Is that... old me punching a pterodactyl?”

“YES!” Mabel bounced on her toes. “I made it after you punched a pterodactyl in the face to save Waddles!”

Waddles oinked in agreement.

Stanley grinned wide and turned to Ford, bouncing with giddy excitement. “Did you hear that Ford? I punched a pterodactyl in the face!”

“Yes. Yes, Stanley. I've heard.” He hesitated, then he gave a thumbs-up. “Good job.” He wasn't certain that was the correct response, but Stanley grinned wider, so it had to be acceptable. “Put it on, Stanley, and lets go. We need to find those crystals before dark.”

“Why?” Dipper asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Some crystals melt in moonlight,” Ford explained, stepping out of the house. The children skipped ahead, but Stanley moved to Ford's side.

“Seriously? This sounds like your dream place, nerd.” He grinned and Ford had to grin back.

“It is, isn't it?” Ford checked the map in his journal, tapping his pen against it as he considered it. Mabel had shown him the way she and Stan had taken earlier, but he wanted to make sure it wasn't near anything too dangerous. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the kids running off into the forest, but not in the direction Mabel had shown him. Perhaps something had caught their attention. No matter, he knew they would rejoin them on their own. However, moments later he noticed Stanley was moving away from him, following after the kids. And while normally Ford would encourage free investigation of paranormal phenomena, Stanley was a complete novice to Gravity Falls. There would be no telling what trouble he could encounter.

He grabbed Stanley's arm and pulled him back. “Stanley, stay close to me. This forest is filled with supernatural creatures and phenomena, it's dangerous for someone without proper training.”

Something wearing a pointed hat leapt out of the bushes, Mabel hot on its heels. She let out a wild holler, swinging a branch at whatever it was. Dipper was bringing up the rear, two more creatures under his arms. 

They all disappeared into a different set of bushes, and Stanley turned wide pleading eyes to Ford. He blinked slowly, his lower lip sticking out, and Ford sighed.

“Oh, very well. But stay within yelling distance. I don't want you getting lost.”

“Yes, sir, Pointdexter!” Stanley saluted and ran after the twins with a grin.

Ford smiled, then followed after them with a shrug. Might as well. It's been some times since he'd grappled with the gnomes. Maybe this time he might get lucky and see what was under their hats.

*~*

Dealing with the gnomes didn't take them much time, and they set off into the woods. Ford lead the way, making sure they stayed clear of any dangerous phenomena. The children took it upon themselves to entertain Stanley with tales of their adventures together. Some made Ford's blood boil – whoever this Gideon was, Ford was quite eager to meet the little twerp. And then some were as fascinating as a book on a particularly engaging aspect of physics.

“And then you just kept punching it!” Dipper said, lifting both fists to illustrate, swinging them around.

Mabel mirrored him. “Left hook, right hook, left hook, right hook!”

“That pterodactyl folded like a lightweight!”

“And we were all saved! Even McGucket!”

“Didn't he get eaten?” Stanley's brows creased in confusion. As did Ford's.

“He's fine. He popped out at one point.”

Stanley wrinkled his nose. “And I don't want to know which end he came out of. No wait, I do.” Ford disagreed. He had no desire to know such details.

Thankfully, they arrived before the kids could answer that particular question.

“That’s the pond Grunkle Stan fell into!” Mabel called, already stepping towards it.

Ford barely managed to snag the edge of her sweater. “Mabel, no! Get back! All of you, back!” He watched carefully to make sure they obeyed, then took out a thick rubber glove from one of his pockets, pulling it on. “While the Pond of Youth only works during certain days of the suncycle, its water is still very potent.”

“You heard Pointdexter.” Stanley pulled both kids to his sides. “He knows what he's talking about.”

“How do you know?” Mabel asked, tilting her head back at him.

Stanley grinned, and his voice was full of pride. “My brother knows all about this sciency stuff. He's an expert.”

Ford froze and the tight feeling in his throat came back. That's right. Stanley had always bragged about him to everyone around, tugging Ford forward to show him off. Ford had thought Stanley used to do that to draw attention to himself, but what kind of attention was it if Ford was the only one being praised?

“Great Uncle Ford, do you need help?” Dipper asked, and Ford started. Right, he needed to get a sample.

“No, no,” Ford called over his shoulder and carefully filled a small container with the water. “Stay there!” He sealed the lid and put the container into a water proof bag for safety. “And all done,” he proclaimed, putting the bag into one of his pockets.

“See kids? That's a pro in action,” Stanley said loudly, and Ford could feel his cheeks going warmer.

He cleared his throat and stepped away from the pond. “Where to now, Mabel?”

“This way! Follow me!” She grabbed Stanley by the hand and sprinted deeper into the forest, giving them all no choice but to follow. At one point she started skipping and Stanley joined in with a laugh.

Ford's throat again grew tight with how young he was. Just a baby.

*~*

“We're here!” Mabel announced, pointing towards a cave visible on their left. “That's the cave.”

Stanley looked around. “Huh. This place does look familiar.”

“Excellent.” Ford nodded and stepped towards the mouth of the cave. “Mabel, do you remember which crystal is the one that interacted with Stanley?”

Mabel made a thoughtful noise, tapping a finger against her lips. “Not sure. I think it was around here?” She pointed at one particular corner, and Ford nodded. That narrowed the search down enough to proceed.

“That’s fine, I'll take care of the rest.” Ford stepped closer and took out his frequency detector. He scanned the crystals Mabel had indicated, and quickly located the ones that resonated at a different frequency than the ones on the opposite wall of the cave. These had to be the ones that were affected by the Pond of Youth water. He chiseled off a few bits, then put them into a container. He did the same with the crystals on the opposite wall, just to have a sample for comparison. Though perhaps he should get more samples. The crystals inside the cave might have different capabilities than the ones subjected to direct sunlight. Besides, there was no telling how far in the water had gotten.

“I'll need to take more samples to determine how the frequency changed. You three stay here. And I mean it.” He shook a finger at them to drive his point across. “These crystals can be highly unstable, there is not telling how they might react to more people in the cave. Understand?”

“Yes, Great-Uncle Ford.” The kids chorused, and Stanley nodded. “Gotcha, Sixer.”

“Good.” Ford nodded and stepped deeper into the cave. He went towards the far back, where he was certain there could have been no contact with Stanley or the waters. Though, perhaps he should go deeper still. He didn't know how far Mabel had ventured when she'd been in here.

“Hold up, bucko,” he heard Stanley call. He looked over his shoulder just in time to see him heft Dipper up and under his arm. “Pointdexter said stay put.”

“Oh come on, Grunkle Stan. You let me go with Great Uncle Ford on science expeditions all the time.”

“Hey, I've only been a Grunkle for a few hours, gimme a break,” He reached out and snatched Mabel up by her sweater. “You, too, pumpkin.”

Mabel squeed, kicking her legs. “Did you hear that, Dipper? He called me pumpkin!”

Ford smiled to himself and kept climbing. Stanley was really proving himself to be a great help. He hadn't been before. Though, come to think of it... he kind of had. He'd always been eager to help Ford with his projects. Be it as a test subject or just to hold something steady or even just as muscle to help carry equipment around. And he'd never really complained. Well, not really. Just about being tired or bored. But he'd never once complained about having to help or about Ford making all the decisions.

“Hey, Pointdexter!” Stanley's voice startled him out of his musings. “You okay over there? You kinda froze up.”

“I- I'm fine!” Ford called back, clearing his throat to get rid of that tight feeling in the back of his throat. “The footing is just tricky, I need to... contemplate my options.”

“You want me to go first? Check the ground and all.”

Ford scoffed. “Don't be silly, Stanley. Dipper, make sure he stays put!”

“Yes, sir, Great Uncle Ford!” Dipper called and did his very best to climb onto Stanley's shoulder. With a holler, Mabel did the same, and Stanley was soon stumbling around under their wiggling weights, all three laughing.

There. Now they'd keep each other busy, and Ford could collect his samples in peace.

*~*

The trip back was uneventful, thankfully. Well, there was the single Hide-Behind Ford noticed following them for a bit, but none of the children noticed it.

When they reached the Shack, they caught sight of Stanley's man-gopher worker sweeping the porch. He must've come when they were out.

The kids rushed to him with giant grins. “Soos! Come meet Grunkle Stan!”

“But I already know him, little doods.”

“Not this Grunkle Stan, you don't!” Mabel grinned and tugged him forward.

Ford could see the exact moment he recognized Stanley. He froze, mouth agape and dropped the broom he'd been holding. Even the children couldn't get him moving again.

Ford chuckled, and gave Stanley a push in their direction. “Go on, Stanley. He's one of yours, you should meet him.”

“One of mine?” Stanley blinked, then grinned, eyes shining. “Like my son?”

Ford started. “Son?” 

Stanley apparently took that as a confirmation because he grinned wider. “Hot damn! A career, great-niblings _and_ a son all in one day!” He jogged over to the kids before Ford could correct him.

“Hi there! Stanley Pines!” He grabbed Soos's hand and gave it a vigorous shake. “So you're my son. Looking good!”

Soos's mouth gaped wider and he made a high squeak. It grew higher the longer it lasted. It was echoed by Mabel, but for entirely different reasons.

Stanley cocked his head at them and chuckled. “You're speechless at the sight of your old man all young and spry, huh?” He patted him on the shoulder, then looked him up and down again. “Hey, how old are you?”

“He's twenty-two,” Dipper answered, bouncing on his toes.

“You're older than me!” Stan winked. “Maybe I should be the one calling you 'dad' this time around, huh?”

Soos made another of those squeaking croaks, and Stanley slapped him on the back with a laugh.

Ford blinked. That's right, Soos was an adult. He should make an appropriate caretaker. Stanley trusted him with the children on a regular basis, and he obviously cared about Stanley too much to let anything happen to him. “Soos. I need to ask you for a favor.” He walked closer, hands folded behind his back.

At the sound of his voice, Soos seemed to shake himself out of his shock. “Sure thing, other Mister Pines.”

“I need to go over these samples so I can find a way to restore Stanley to his proper age. As the only other adult, I need you to keep an eye on the kids and Stanley for me. Make sure they eat something and not go too far into the woods alone. Especially Stanley, he doesn't know what is out there.”

“Me? As the only responsible adult?” Soos cheeks pinked, his gopher teeth on full display as he grinned. “You can count on me, other Mister Pines!” 

Stanley gave him a worried look and grasped Ford's sleeve. “You're not gonna stay with m- us?” he asked.

“I need to run some experiments if I'm going to fix this, Stanley.” Ford hesitated, then patted Stanley on the shoulder. “I'll be done before you know it. In the meantime, Soos and the children will make sure your stay in Gravity Falls is a pleasant one.”

“Yeah! We can play Dungeons, Dungeons and More Dungeons!”

“Or we can do Surprise Make-Overs on each other!”

“I can show you my mad DJ-ing skills! I'm a natural talent, my grandma says so!”

Stanley stared at them for a moment, then he smiled. “Sounds great!” It didn't quite reach his eyes, but Ford appreciated the effort. Stanley turned to him and patted his shoulder. “Okie dokie, Pointdexter. You go do your science thing.” He turned to the kids and grinned down at them. “And as we do all that awesome stuff, I fully expect you three to tell me all about the wacky adventures you've had here!”

Mabel started bouncing on her toes. “O-o-o-o-o-o-oh! Dipper, let's tell him about the time we fought Blendin' in Globnar!”

“What's that?”

“Gladiatoral time combat,” Dipper explained. Which explained very little, truth be told.

Stanley seemed to agree, judging by his expression. “...you have my entire attention.”

“Ha ha, yeah. That is a fun story.” Soos reached into his pocket and took out a piece of pizza. “It's where I got my never-ending pizza slice.” He took a bite to illustrate and both Stanley's and Stanford's eyes widened when it regrew into a complete slice.

“That is incredible.” Ford leaned forward, eyes trained on the pizza. “And is it truly infinite?”

Soos nodded. “It regrows no matter how many times I munch on it. And I munch a lot.”

“Fascinating.” He murmured, mind already devising experiments to test its properties.

“You could just spend the day with us,” Stanley offered in a hopeful tone. “I'm sure Soos would let you study his pizza thingy.”

“Not a problem, other Mister Pines.”

Ford shook his head. “No, no, I need to deal with those crystals. I'm sure the children will tell me all about it later.” He checked his watch. “It's nearing lunch time. Soos, why don't you take the children to the diner.”

Soos grinned. “Oh, dudes, that's the best idea! Lazy Susan is going to love a young Mister Pines!”

“There, that's settled.” Ford clasped Stanley on the shoulder. “You enjoy your day and please don't disturb me unless it's an emergency,” he said, then turned on his heel and went straight down to his lab. He had a lot of work to do if he was going to undo this.

*~*


	4. Night Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo, this took a bit of editing. Hope you enjoy. ^_^

It was fascinating, truly fascinating. The resonance of the crystals affected the water from the Pond of Youth, activating and amplifying its properties. And as Stanley had been soaked in the water, thus the effect had de-aged him by a considerable amount. Mabel must've pulled him away from the crystals, otherwise he might've ended up as an infant. Or even younger.

He sighed at the thought, then sat back, rubbing his neck. It could've easily ended with Stanley being unbirthed. He needed to carefully document and mark the site, warn others of the dangers.

“You figured it out, Pointdexter?” Stanley called and Ford nodded.

“Yes, yes. It was an unknown effect of combining the Waters out of season with the resonance of-” He blinked and turned around. “What are you doing here?” Stanley had stayed with the children while Ford was working on the problem, he was certain of it.

Stanley grinned. He was sitting on a table behind Ford, swinging his legs to and fro. “Just watching you work.”

“Shouldn't you be with the children?” 

Stanley shrugged and looked upwards at the ceiling. “The kids are both in bed.” 

That couldn't be right. “They are? This early?” Wait. “What time is it?”

Stanley looked back at him. “It was nearing eleven when I came down here,” he said, looking around the lab, curiosity bright in his eyes.

Had Stanley always done that while Ford wasn't paying attention to him? Watching him and waiting, like a pet set aside for later? Ford tried to remember, but what he did recall didn't fill him with a good answer. Each time he'd looked up from a book, Stanley had been nearby, doing something by himself or already smiling at Ford, asking what they'd be doing that day.

Ford shook aside the odd thought and stood up. “If it's that late, you should be in bed as well.” He paused. “Do you- do you need extra blankets?”

“Nah, I'm fine.” Stanley grinned. “I can crash by the tv, see what's on in the future. That yellow chair has the perfect imprint for my butt.”

Ford didn't find that surprising, considering the amount of time Stanley spent in that chair. Still, “Out of the question. Proper sleep is instrumental to proper brain functions.”

Stanley snorted. “Says the guy who I have to routinely wrestle books away from in the middle of the night.”

“Well...” Ford looked back at the water and the crystals. He wouldn't be able to do much right now, he needed noon sun rays to reverse the crystals' resonance. “Well, now I am a wise adult, and I've decided it's high time for both of us to sleep.”

Stanley saluted with a chuckle. “Aye, aye, Captain Pointdexter.” He slipped off the table, bouncing on his heels.

He was so young, Ford couldn't help thinking again. He cleared his throat. “Come along now.” He lead the way to the elevator, Stanley following behind. “You- you can tell me how you've spent the day. If you'd like.”

Stanley smiled. “It was fun. Soos took us to the Greasy Diner, and I met this lady Susan. She loves pinching cheeks, I gotta tell you.” He chuckled. “But I also got a free pie. And when I went all charming gentleman and kissed her hand, she swooned, Sixer, I didn't think women did that anymore!”

Ford chuckled, and ushered Stanley into the elevator. “Well, maybe it's your disarming personality,” he said, giving Stanley a gentle pat on the back. “I assume you had a hearty meal.”

“Sure did. Oh, and I met this gall, Wendy. Who is _not_ my daughter, I made sure to ask. Dipper used to have a crazy crush on her, did you know that?”

“I- didn't. I hope you didn't traumatize the boy by flirting with this Wendy person,” he said, exiting the elevator and striding down the upper lab.

“Nah. Well, fine, I tried at first.” He laughed, following Ford up the stairs. “You should've heard her. She answered me line per line. Like, I said 'Did it hurt when you fell down from Heaven?', and she went 'Nah, I aced that landing like a pro'!” He laughed, slapping his knee.

Ford smiled. Oh good. He _had_ been a bit worried Stanley wouldn't have a nice day, and it was gratifying to learn that he had. “I assume you then practiced your lines on her.”

“I used all of them, she shot them down each time. Then she took out this little box with knowledge in it, and we looked up even more lines and puns!”

“A little box with knowledge in it?” Ford repeated slowly, giving Stanley a confused look.

Stanley nodded, and walked out past the vending machine. “She called it a phone, but there wasn't any cable or receiver, so I think she was pulling my leg. Though Soos had one, too.” He turned in a circle on the toes of one foot while Ford closed the hidden entrance.

“That's... well, technology is different in the future.” That should be enough of an explanation, right?

“Yeah, I figured.” Stanley shrugged, then grinned. “But we got Dipper to practice with us, and he even managed to get a phone number from a girl in the ice-cream joint.”

“Ah.” Ford lead the way towards the other side of the house, where the bedrooms were. “Well, good to know he has better luck with the ladies than we did.”

“Than you did, you mean. **I** was a stud.”

“One Carla does not a stud make.”

“That's what you say.” Stanley poked him with a giggle. “Anyway, after that we all came back to the Shack, and we played William Tell with Wendy's ax. Mabel and Dipper kept score. I got a trigillion points for standing perfectly still.”

Ford stopped in the middle of the corridor, the blood in his veins like ice. “Please tell me the apple wasn't on your head.”

Stanley grinned wider. “Where else would it be?”

Ford's hands clenched at his side. “Stanley, that was incredibly dangerous!”

Stanley waved an unconcerned hand. “Nah, Sixer. Wendy's a whiz, she didn't even nick me a single time.”

Ford grabbed Stanley's head and pulled it closer, inspecting it with a critical eye. “You still let a girl you've just met lob an ax at your head. What were you thinking?”

“That it's fun?” Stanley shifted on his feet, but didn't pull away, letting Ford check all he wanted. “It's fine, Sixer. Wendy first showed her aim against the trees. She didn't miss a single time, so the logical next step was someone's head, and I wasn't gonna let Mabel and Dipper do that.” Ford disagreed with that logic. “Besides. Soos supervised. He's a good guy, he made me wear a helmet.”

True, Ford _had_ left Soos in charge. And knowing there had been a helmet involved made it much easier to breath without yelling at Stanley for his reckless stupidity. And he had to admit, there really didn't seem to be any wounds on Stanley's head. “Do _not_ play such games again.”

“All right, Sixer.”

Ford cleared his throat and let Stanley's head go. “Your room is just down this hall. Come along.” He lead the way and Stanley fell into step behind him. He should be fine sleeping in his normal bed, there was no need to organize any other sleeping arrangement. “Here we are.” He pushed the door open and gestured Stanley inside. “Good night. And please don't go snooping around. If you start, you're not going to sleep at all.”

“I'd probably search for the porn stash,” he giggled, and Ford gave him a playful punch in the shoulder.

“None of that, Numbskull. Sleep.” He wagged a finger at Stanley's unrepentant face. “I mean it.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Stanley chuckled, rubbing his arm. Then he gave Ford an odd look. His brows were creased slightly, and he was biting the inside of his lower lip. “Hey, could we-” he stopped, then shook his head. “Nah, never mind. Night!” He tried to close the door, but Ford stopped it with a hand.

“Stanley.” He pushed the door open a bit more, but Stanley wouldn't meet his eyes. “What is it?”

“Nothing, it's stupid,” he muttered with a shrug.

“Be it stupid or silly, I still want to know.” That had never failed to get Stanley talking about whatever was troubling him. 

Stanley smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck, eyes still downcast. “I just...” He looked up from under his lashes, and slowly extended both arms. “Can I get big-bro-cuddles?”

Ford stared at him, surprised. Stanley wanted what?

Stanley dropped his arms. “Told you it was stupid. Guess I'm too old for that, huh?”

Ford blinked and swallowed thickly. Stanley had only ever asked for cuddles when he was stressed or upset about something. And being made to sleep all alone in an unfamiliar place had to be upsetting, he was so _young_. “Don't be silly, you're practically a baby.”

“Am not!”

Ford put his hands on his hips. “Do you want cuddles or not?”

Stanley smiled, shoulders relaxing. “I do want that.”

Ford nodded. “Let's go to my room, then. The sofa there is big enough for us both.”

*~*

Ford grunted when Stanley plopped down against his chest. “Careful there, Stanley! I'm an old man, you know,” he admonished, wrapping an arm around Stanley's middle. Stanley was just as soft there as well, and the words 'baby fat' once more appeared in Ford's mind. Just a baby.

“Nah. You're the nerdy hunk.” Stanley grinned, poking Ford in the chest. “And I'm the successful enterpetener.”

Ford had to smile. Stanley always mangled the longer words. Ford used to find that funny once. “Do you mean entrepreneur?”

“Yeah, that noise.” Stanley let out a long breath, relaxing against Ford's side. “You do your nerdy science stuff, and I sell it to the Joe-Schmoe suckers.”

“You do indeed,” Ford agreed. He'd seen one of Stanley's tours. And even though he was making a mockery of Ford's field of study, he did have a certain flair that captivated his audience. Stanley's 'personality' at its finest.

“And we live together in our own house,” Stanley continued, voice soft. “And I bet we have lots of adventures together, right?” He smiled brightly, and the tight feeling squeezed Ford's throat again. “Together forever, just like we planned.”

Ford couldn't tell him the truth. He couldn't be the one to wipe that smile off Stanley's face. And if he knew the truth, that smile would never appear again. “Sure, Stanley.” He forced himself to smile and ruffled his hair. “We're a right pair of adventurers.”

“You discover 'em and I punch 'em.” Stanley lifted his fist for emphasis, giving it a swing.

Ford's smile was more genuine this time. “The perfect team.” Stanley snuggled closer, and Ford tightened his hold. “You sleep now, Stanley.”

“K,” Stanley murmured, his warm breath ghosting across Ford's neck. “Don't spend the whole night reading this time.”

“I won't,” Ford promised, laying his cheek against Stanley's forehead. He closed his eyes and concentrated on Stanley's warm weight against his side. The tight feeling was gone for now, and as he listened to Stanley's breath deepening slowly, he could feel himself relaxing as well. “Comfortable?”

“Mmmm. Never better.” A long exhale. “This is nice.”

“What is?” Ford kept his voice soft, not wanting to rouse Stanley from his relaxed state.

“Us together,” Stanley answered, just as softly. “We haven't been spending that much time together lately. I mean, back when we both were this age.”

“We hadn't?” Ford's brows creased, eyes opening to stare into the dark.

“Yeah.” Stanley shifted slightly, tucking his head against Ford's throat. “You're- I mean you _were_ only interested in that sciency project for the science fair.”

Oh. “... that project was very important to me, Stanley. It meant a lot.”

“I know.” Stanley was so close that Ford could feel his smile against his neck. “And I bet it blew all the other gizmos out of the water.” Stanley sat up so that he could look Ford in the eye. “You got first prize, right?”

Ford blinked, and gave a tight smile. “Yes.”

“I knew it!” Stanley sat up further and pumped both fists in the air. “Sixer for the WIN!” He laughed, and Ford let out a startled laugh of his own. “I bet the jurors took one look at your project and scoffed at all the crappy rest.” He pitched his voice high, akin to one of their past teacher's. “Oh, Mr. Crampelter, your project is utter garbage compared to our brilliant Stanford Pines's. Why, you should drop any ideas you have of being smart and concentrate on finding a worthwhile job. I understand they are always hiring in the barnacle scraping business.” He giggled, but Stanford was no longer laughing with him. He stared at his brother, this child forced away from his entire life, and _ached_.

He swallowed thickly, and smoothed a hand down Stanley's hair. “Yes, yes. But now lie down and go to sleep. It's late and we have a big day tomorrow.”

Stanley obeyed, but his eyes remained wide open. “You're gonna find a way to fix me up, so we can have more awesome adventures?”

Ford nodded. His blanket was still where he'd folded it in the morning, and he grabbed it with one hand, shaking it open. “That's right.”

“And we have them all the time?”

“Yes, Stanley.” He tugged the blanket over them both, making sure it covered both of Stanley's legs.

“And we catch monsters and hunt supernatural stuff?”

“Yes, Stanley.” He started rubbing slow circles across Stanley's back, hoping that will lull him back down.

“We're heroic and cool, aren't we?” Stanley settled more firmly against Ford's side.

“...we try.”

Stanley tugged on Ford's sweater. “I bet you're the smartest guy on the planet. Did you beat that Einstein dude for the title of smartest?”

“It doesn't work like that,” Ford said, a small smile on his face. “No one gives out awards for having the highest IQ.”

“Eh, what do they know,” Stanley scoffed, then leaned his head against Ford's shoulder, staring at him. Ford could swear there were stars in his eyes. “Tell me about one of our adventures?” Stanley pleaded.

“What?”

“Tell me an adventure of ours,” Stanley insisted with another tug on Ford's sweater. “One with a monster to take down, you being smart, and me punching stuff in the face.”

Ford hesitated, then ran his hand through Stanley's hair. “Well. There was the time we took down a materialized representation of a wizard from DD&MD.”

Stanley squinted at him. “...from your nerdy game?” he asked, his voice heavy with skepticism.

“He was brought to life by an infinity sided dice. He kidnapped me and Dipper and intended to eat our brains.”

“All right, I'm hooked. How'd you get out of that one?”

“ **I** didn't.” He tapped the tip of Stanley's nose. “ _You_ saved us.”

“I did?” Ford nodded. “Tell me everything!”

With an indulgent smile, Ford did. He told of the kidnapping, of being sucked into the game, of Mabel's insane moves. And, of course, he told of Stanley's little sleight of hand with the bubble gum. By the end of it, Stanley was cheering and clapping with pride. 

“Hoo-rah! Whole family of adventure heroes! We're probably the pride of the whole Pines family, right?”

Truth be told, they might be the only ones left, not counting Mabel and Dipper's parents. “Well...”

“Is Dad still not impressed?” Stan asked incredulously and flopped back with a huff. “Shows what he knows.” He grabbed Ford's arm tightly with both hands. “You're the smartest hero ever, Stanford.”

The tight feeling returned to Ford's throat. Stanley had been just like this when they'd been children, as well. Hanging onto Stanford's every word and supportive no matter what. Ford wrapped his arms around him and gathered him close, giving a single morose sniff.

Stanley wrapped his arms around Ford's shoulders, and gave him an uncertain pat. “Ford?”

“You're like a baby to me now,” he murmured into his brother's hair.

“Careful, grandpa.” Stanley poked him in the side with a grin. “You're still nerd enough for me to kick your ass.”

Ford laughed, but didn't loosen his hold. Stanley didn't seem to mind. He simply settled against Ford's chest and let out a content sigh.

“Tell me an adventure where you were the hero,” he requested, snuggling close and tucking his head beneath Ford's chin.

“Well...” Ford wiped his nose and let out a slow breath. “I can tell you about the time I had to escape three Glarkooves in Dimension 37iC1.”

Stanley shot up, nearly clocking Stanford in the chin. “We were in a different dimension?”

“I... yes.” What else could he say? 

Stanley let out a sound that could only be described as a squee. “We're Space Adventurers!” He threw his arms around Ford and squeezed as tightly as he could. When they were young, this type of hug from Stanley felt like all the breath was squeezed out of him. Now, his airway barely felt constricted at all. Stanley probably wouldn't even be able to take Ford down with a tackle from a running start. Just a baby. 

Ford returned the hug and started petting Stanley's hair. Stanley grinned up at him, and something in Ford's chest clenched at how young he looked.

His baby brother.

“Did you take down those whatevers from dimension whatzit all by yourself or did I help any?”

“You weren't there. You... were sick, so you had to stay behind.”

“So you were all alone?”

“Yes.”

“That just makes you cooler.” Stanley snuggled back down and poked Ford in the side. “Come on, don't leave me hanging!”

With a smile, Ford started the tale, Stanley listening eagerly to every word.

*~*


	5. The Return

*~*

Stanley finally fell asleep after about three more tales. It probably helped that Ford had chosen the third adventure from his time in Dimension 299/\CS – the dimension of books and old people. Not as action packed, more one for logic and proper behavior protocols. Stanley never did engage much when it was mostly talk. He nodded right off.

Ford stayed on the couch with him for half an hour more, just to make sure Stanley was properly asleep. He only realized he'd nodded off himself when he woke up a few hours later. Well. He must've been more tired than he'd thought.

Stanley was sound asleep, cuddled close with his head tucked under Ford's chin. Ford was loath to move him, but he needed to get back to finding a solution. As much as he wanted to stay longer, he'd rather not risk the size-crystal's unusual effects growing unstable. There was no telling what could happen to Stanley if that happened.

So Ford carefully slid Stanley off his chest and onto the couch. He covered him with the blanket, then went straight back to his lab. There was much work to be done.

*~*

It was nearing noon when Ford finished the device that would fix Stanley to his proper age. All it would take was directing a beam of light through a size-crystal dunked in an appropriate amount of water from the Puddle of Aging at Stanley, and he would easily age up to his previous amount of years. Perhaps less than that, Stanley had not been in the best physical condition. He'd looked closer to seventy; how badly did he take care of himself? Shaving a few years off would do him some good.

Then again, if he didn't age back into his previous age, there was a strong possibility he wouldn't remember Ford being back. Nor the children. That would crush him.

He'd better run some more tests, figure out the correct usage. He didn't want to risk Stanley's wellbeing, after all.

*~*

A few hours later, he had the precise speed of years per second and the calculations on how long Stanley needed to be in the light for. 7.68 seconds would be tricky, so he'd also modified a flashlight to include a timer which would turn off the light after precisely that amount of time.

Thus equipped, he went upstairs to get Stanley.

He found him in the den, playing cards with the kids and Soos.

Stanley noticed him and grinned. “Hey, there, Sixer! You finally left your cave!”

Ford rolled his eyes. “It's a laboratory and a workshop, Stanley, not a cave. And I have finished the device.” He held it up as proof, propping it against his shoulder. “This will age you up properly. Come along.”

Stanley lifted his cards. “Can we just finish this hand? The kids are teaching me to cheat at poker.”

“You already know how to cheat at poker,” Ford pointed out.

“But their techniques are _way better_!” Stan protested, bouncing a bit on his butt. “Soos especially has played me for a sap each time!”

“It was an honor and priveledge to best you.” Soos nodded, his cards cradled against his chest.

“We're only good because you taught us, Grunkle Stan,” Mabel giggled, an ace sticking out of her sweater sleeve.

“Aww, that just gives me the warm fuzzies. Hug time!” They all stood up and hugged each other over the table. It was a bit awkward, considering the kids had to climb onto the table top to get to everyone properly.

Ford had to chuckle. “All right, all right. We can play one hand.” He looked around the room. “Got, uh- got room for one more?”

“Sure, Sixer. Sit here.” Stan pulled one of the extra chairs closer to the table between him and Dipper. “Dip-dop can give you cheating pointers.”

“It's easy, Great Uncle Ford,” Dipper assured him with a bright smile. “The trick is to let go of your morals.”

Ford smiled back and didn't comment on the cards stuffed up his cap. “I shall trust you on that, my boy.”

Dipper beamed at him.

*~*

Three hands later, they went into the living room for the transformation. The kids moved all the furniture aside to give them more room, then Stanley stood in the middle of the floor.

“So.” He lifted his hands, then dropped them to his sides. “Do I just stand here?”

“Yes.” Ford checked the device settings once more. “Just don't fall and you'll be fine.”

“Neat. Oh, I should take this off.” He pulled the sweated off, then handed it to Mabel with a wink. “Don't want it to get ripped when all my muscles grow back.”

Mable hugged the sweated with a giggle. “I'll re-gift it to you with much fanfare!”

“I'm counting on it, pumpkin.” He turned his grin to Dipper and tousled his hair. “I feel like I should be saying goodbye to you all.”

Ford didn't look up from where he was doing last minute checks on the device. It never hurt to be careful. “Don't be ridiculous, Stanley, you aren't going away.” 

“The young me is,” he said with a pout, and both Mabel and Dipper glomped him into a tight hug. Soos joined in and Stanley laughed. “That's what I'm talking about! Family hug!”

“Fam-hug!” Mabel cheered, squeezing tighter. Even Waddles started rubbing himself against the back of Stan's legs.

And for some reason, seeing Stanley surrounded by his family made that tight feeling return to Ford's throat. He had no clue why. Family had always been important to Stanley. He'd clung to them even when it got really bad. When Ma got into one of her moods or when dad... Better not to think about that. Some things were better left in the past.

The hug finally broke and Stanley stood in the middle of the room again. “Ready, Sixer!”

“Good.” Ford lifted the device and aimed it. “You might feel a slight pressure.” And he turned it on.

Watching Stanley grow from teen back to an old man in 7.68 seconds was incredible and, quite frankly, fascinating. The skin changes alone were riveting, not to mention the hair and the muscle growth. But seven seconds was really not long at all and there stood Stanley. The right age, the right body, the right memories. His Stanley.

“What? Where?” Stanley muttered, blinking myopically. Oh, of course. Young Stanley had refused to wear his glasses, and Ford hadn't thought to prepare them for this Stanley. Good thing others didn't share his lack of foresight.

“Here you go, Grunkle Stan,” Dipper said, slipping his glasses into Stanley's hand.

“Thanks, kid.” Stanley slipped them on and patted Dipper's head. He looked around them all, brows knitting more and more the longer he looked. “So. Is anyone going to tell me what the H- honey drops happened?”

Ford stared at him, at this once again old man. He'd tried to dredge up those old feelings of anger and resentment he'd had when he'd looked at or thought about his brother. And while they were still there, they seemed distant, not as intense. He looked at his brother and all he could think about was how young he was just five minutes ago. How young he'd been _then_.

Then he realized he was staring and he coughed into his fist. “There's been... an incident. Do you... remember anything?”

“Nope. Last thing I remember is me and Mabel in the woods, looking for sparkly leaves.” Stanley scratched at his temple, tugging on the shorts he was wearing. “What happened?”

Where to start? “There... was an accident. It...” He paused, swallowing thickly. “Well, the easiest way to say it is that it de-aged you.”

Stanley frowned, hands on his hips. “De-aged? As in turned into a kid?”

“Yes.” Ford thought of young Stanley, and how he'd roughhoused and played with the kids. “You were so young.”

Stanley made a thoughtful noise in the back of his throat. “What age did I end up in? Ten? Eight?”

“A month before dad kicked you out.” Stanley standing in front of their house, hand raised as he pleaded, _begged_ for a High Six.

Stanley blinked and frowned. “... I wasn't young then, Ford.”

But he was. He _was_. “You were a _baby_.” Young Stanley smiling at him, cuddled close to his side. “A child, a young little boy.” He felt his eyes filling with tears.

Stanley's frown deepened, and he stepped forward, reaching out hesitantly. “Hey, now. At that age I was-”

But Ford continued, undeterred. “And dad kicked you out without your jacket or any food. And I let him.” That damn tight feeling was back in his throat. “I let him!”

Stanley winced and looked away. “You were a kid yourself.”

“That doesn't excuse me!” Ford yelled, hands clenching into fists.

Stanley patted his shoulder. “Yes, it does. Cut yourself some slack, Pointdexter. If I was a baby, so were you. We _are_ the same age.”

He had a point, but somehow Ford couldn't accept that. He'd been the older brother. He should have been more responsible for Stanley. He should have- “I'm so sorry, Stanley,” he said, voice thick from unshed tears. “I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I let dad do that. I'm sorry I didn't hear you out when _it_ happened. I'm sorry for ignoring you before the fair. _I'm sorry._ ”

Stanley smiled, a sad little smile that somehow brightened up his entire face. “It's in the past. Now come here, sibling hug.” Stan opened his arms, and Ford stepped into them, wrapping his own around Stanley's chest. 

Ford clutched at him, pressing his face into his shoulder. Stanley wrapped his arms around his back, hugging him tightly. The tight feeling in Ford's throat lessened, but his eyes still burned with tears. 

A noise caught his attention, and he turned his head to the side, cracking open one eye. 

Dipper had averted his gaze, politely giving them some illusion of privacy. Mabel had done no such thing and was staring at them with what could possibly be actual stars in her eyes. Soos had on a similar expression and was also taking photos on his camera-phone. Or did people call it just a phone now, Ford could never remember.

He cleared his throat and broke the hug, wiping briefly at his eyes. Stanley's arms seemed reluctant to let go, so Ford grabbed his hand to prolong the contact. Stanley grinned with a small chuckle and squeezed his fingers tightly as he wiped at his own eyes.

“Yass!” Mabel cheered and leapt onto Dipper's back. “They've made up!”

“This requires some major celebration,” Soos joined in, his hat pressed to his chest over his heart. “I shall make my Pizza Waffles. I'll make them extra bacon-y.”

“I'll make the Mabel-juice extra Mabel-y!”

“And I'll whip up some whipped cream!” Dipper high-fived both his sister and Soos, then the kids ran into the kitchen. 

“Killer pun, little dood!” Soos called after them, then turned around with a smile. “We'll call you when you the feast is ready to be devoured, Misters Pineses.”

“Sounds-” Stanley's voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “Sounds great, Soos. We'll join you in a bit.”

“Right-o, Mister Pines.” Soos marched into the kitchen as well, a skip in his step.

Ford smiled. Soos was probably overjoyed to have his 'Mister Pines' back. Everything was back to normal. The smile slipped off his face. Except 'normal' meant that he'd been mad at Stanley and had wanted nothing to do with him. He'd been fully prepared to throw him out onto the street, just like-

Some hugs and hand holding would not be enough to convince Stanley that Ford now wanted to have a different relationship, that he wanted to fix things. But how to- 

His hand lifted to his inner breast pocket, where the old photo was safely tucked away. Where _their_ photo was.

Stanley cleared his throat again, and Ford met his gaze. “Listen, Stanford. I gotta-”

“Stanley.” He pulled the photo out of his pocket, fingers holding it carefully out to Stan. “I want to show you something.”

Stanley took it with a confused look, which quickly transformed into one of astonishment. “You- you've had this... all this time?”

“Of course.” Ford gave Stanley's hand another squeeze. “There were times when I really needed a reminder of happier times. Of times when I wasn't alone. Times when I'd had you.”

Stanley's shoulders drew up to his ears, eyes once more filling with tears. “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Ford.”

Ford wanted to reassure him somehow, just like Stanley had moments before. Yet the words 'It's fine' or 'It's in the past' wouldn't quite pass his throat. So instead, he pulled his brother into another hug, their hands still clasped.

END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is it!   
> A giant thank you to all who commented! You are all brilliant! [hugz you all]


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